Celeb Pawrents: Actor-couple Jesseca Liu and Jeremy Chan track their fur kids with AirTags

Straits Times

18 hours ago

Celebrity couple Jesseca Liu and Jeremy Chan with their cats Tigger, a white 19-year-old male domestic shorthair, and Crusso Meimei, a three-year-old female tabby. PHOTO: COURTESY OF JESSECA LIU
SINGAPORE – Celebrity couple Jesseca Liu and Jeremy Chan are so protective of their fur kids that they keep a close watch on them all the time.
The actors installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor their two cats, who are kept strictly indoors. They also placed AirTags on their collars to track their location should they escape.
Liu, 46, and Chan, 43, are devoted pawrents to Tigger, a white 19-year-old male domestic shorthair, and Crusso Meimei, a grey three-year-old female tabby. Both were adopted when they were kittens.
The couple currently shuttle between Singapore and Malaysia to film Mediacorp's 2026 blockbuster drama The Leftovers. The dystopian crime series about organ trafficking also stars Li Nanxing, Zhang Zetong, Cheryl Chou and Desmond Tan.
Despite their busy schedules, Chan and Liu, who tied the knot in 2017, try to spend as much time with their cats as possible and constantly check the CCTV cameras via their phones to see how they are doing at home.
If they are both away from home for a longer period, the popular Malaysian actress will call in her friend, who is 'the cats' godmother and takes care of them like her own children'.
Liu is up for the Best Actress trophy at the Star Awards 2025 on July 6 for her strong performance in crime drama Unforgivable (2024). She also earned nominations in five other categories, including two Favourite Female Character awards for her roles in Unforgivable and the drama Once Upon A New Year's Eve (2024).
Chan received three nominations for the annual Mediacorp awards, including Top 10 Male Artistes, Best Programme Host and Most Charismatic Actor. The Singaporean actor-host hosts culinary show Murder On The Menu, now showing on Channel 8 on Wednesdays at 8pm as well as on mewatch.
Liu's affinity for animals can be traced back to her formative years in Langkawi, Malaysia, where there were many stray cats and dogs.
'Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by animals. In a way, they were all my pets,' she says.
Before the couple adopted Crusso Meimei, they had another male tabby named Crusso, who died in November 2021 from pancreatic cancer. He was 14 years old.
'Crusso Meimei reminded us so much of Crusso that we decided to name her after her older brother,' says Liu.
She adds that she has always been particularly drawn to cats. She attributes this to a sense of emotional kinship with them.
'I believe cats are very much like me – emotionally sensitive yet not overtly expressive,' she says.
'How can you tell they're sensitive? Just look at how wildly they play with you. When it comes to the humans they love, they always retract their claws. They would never intentionally hurt you.'
A particularly touching memory that epitomises this bond involves her first cat, Tigger. On occasions when Liu found herself locked out of her home, Tigger would ingeniously squeeze through a window simply to sit by her side until help arrived.
'If he truly wished to run away, he could have done so easily. Yet every time he 'escaped', it was solely to be with me,' she says, adding that Tigger has always been a gentle, reliable companion.
The relationship between Tigger and Crusso Meimei has evolved. Given the significant age difference – Tigger being a senior cat and Crusso Meimei still youthful – the initial adjustment period was understandably challenging.
'They had a love-hate relationship. It warms my heart sometimes to see them cosy up to each other as brother and sister,' says Liu.
'Meimei is full of boundless energy,' adds the Emerald Hill (2025) actress. 'She loves to play and knows exactly when to turn on her charm.'
Describing both cats as very 'manja' (Malay for affectionate) towards them, Liu feels Tigger and Crusso Meimei may be more attached to her husband, as he spends a lot of time playing with them.
'He's also the strict dad, while I'm the gentle mum,' Liu says, adding that she's her 'cats' slave' and she cannot stop cuddling them.
Both cats sleep with the couple and 'stick to us at different times'.
She adds, with a laugh: 'It's funny how smart they are – they totally know who to go to depending on what they want.'
Caring for Tigger and Crusso Meimei is a responsibility Liu and Chan take very seriously. Both cats are sterilised, microchipped and kept strictly indoors for their safety.
'We don't take them out as they are shy and afraid of new environments. We don't want to stress them out,' says Liu.
Their dietary needs are carefully managed, with a particular emphasis on providing Tigger with proper nutrition tailored to his senior age.
Despite their busy schedules, Chan and Liu, who tied the knot in 2017, try to spend as much time with their cats as possible.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JESSECA LIU
While the joy of having pets is immeasurable, Liu acknowledges that it is not without challenges.
A particularly alarming incident occurred in 2024 when Crusso Meimei leapt up to a cabinet and tried to jump down without realising how high it was.
The resulting fall was accompanied by a distressing cry, prompting an urgent visit to the veterinarian. Fortunately, Crusso Meimei emerged unscathed, but the incident was a stark reminder of the constant vigilance that pet ownership demands.
'That incident really gave us a huge scare,' says Liu.
Joanne Soh is a lifestyle correspondent at The Straits Times, with a special interest in entertainment and pop culture.
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